بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

https://youtu.be/OH3OFq_G5vc

As-Salaamu ‘Alaikum Beloved Brothers & Sisters!

You can see what an influence Aunt Re has had on my fashion sense. I am also a big fan of her music. However, after reading her autobiography, I must say that I don’t really like her personality. If Guinness had a category for biggest ego, Aunt Re would win.

She was so much on the defensive. Always defending her behaviour, misunderstandings, industry disagreements and false media reports. It made me question who was really at fault for her to have SO MANY issues to address.

Especially after reading what she had to say about her relationship with G. I had to mark the page, it was so funny. But I’m not going to go downstairs just to quote her, I will tell you this. She was so “Christian,” but more like Problem #2, all she said was she was going to “pray for” Ms. Knight. LOL So Christian of her.

As a matter of fact, she was so “Christian” that she had three babies by three different men, none of whom did she bother to marry, before she was twenty! I wonder what Christ would have to say about that!

To put it bluntly, Aunt Re was a ho.

Probably still is the way she talked so much about how much she loves the lord and what a good Christian she is. No reason to think she’s changed.

Shows you how terrible Christianity is for Our Nation, also considering that her father was and is one of the most well-known Reverends in the history of Reverends, Reverend C.L. Franklin.

It was opening up for him, that she began her career in music.

And oh my God, why did she tell us everything she had to eat?!?! Every where she went, every family vacation, every shopping spree, every new house, every turn of events in her life was accented with what type of food went with it and how GOOOOOOD it was!!!

But she blamed her weight gain on quitting smoking.

Needless to say, I liked her a lot more before I read her book.

But it was interesting to find out, that just as I was realizing my favorite Aunt Re song was Rock Steady,

…she got to that part of her book and mentioned that the organist, whose contribution made the song what it is, was none other than my favorite singer of all time, Mr. Donny Hathaway.

It’s easy to see why she and G don’t get along. Aunt Re blamed it on G’s fledgling career, but G said it started when they met.

She said she and Aunt Re shared a dressing room when Re came to Atlanta, and G, being from Atlanta, was a little intimidated by Re’s star, already having established herself as a great gospel singer. Nevertheless, G extended her hand in warm greeting, welcoming Aunt Re, “Hi, I’m Gladys Knight. Welcome to Atlanta.” Aunt Re just looked at her and then turned her back and resumed her conversation with her background singers, saying nothing.

G said nobody really believed the cold treatment she received from Ree Ree until one day backstage at a concert, she ran into her again. Again Gladys greeted Aunt Re and again Aunt Re snubbed her.

But this time Bubba was with her and Gladys and he exchanged glances. She was like, “I told you.” And Bubba said, “Hey, Ree Ree!” and Aretha turned around and came and gave Bubba a big hug.

Bubba said, “Gladys was speaking to you too.”

Then Ree Ree acted like she had only just noticed Gladys was there. “Oh, hi.”

Both women were raised in the church with heavy gospel backgrounds. But Gladys has a real love for Allah (God) while Re seems to just like going to church and being the Rt. Reverend’s daughter and all that accompanies it.

She said he had his “lady friends” too, one of whom LIVED WITH THEM IN SIN, so the fruit doesn’t fall far from the tree.

SHAMEFUL what Christianity allows. Last time I checked FORNICATION AND ADULTERY ARE STILL SINS.

And such a highly respected man and his daughter. SMH

One of the first things about Aretha that really made me dislike her was the way she treated her musical associates. THREE times throughout her book, she spoke of how badly people she had previously gloated over were treated (Quincy Jones being one) by record company executives, but obviously it didn’t phase her one bit.

She just went on to a different subject.

I felt she could have done a little bit more. She seems really selfish and egotistical. She gives QUEENS a bad name.

And to make matters worse! Her sister Carolyn died of cancer and Ree Ree talked about what a wonderful sister she was and what a terrible time in her life it was. THEN she goes on to say, how her Sister went to the press and talked about Ree and how much Ree didn’t like what she had to say!

Why say that AFTER you talked about her death??? And your SISTER!!! She spoke ill of the dead – something EVERYBODY knows you’re not supposed to do – and her own sister. Like Gladys Knight said, “she can sing it and she can spell it,” but Aretha Franklin doesn’t know the first thing about respect.

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So, the past couple of nights, I did somethings that regular people might think was boring.

On Tuesday, I finally went to the Santa Monica History Museum. It’s free from 5-8 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But they were having a talk and there were too many people there talking loud and annoying me for me to really enjoy it. So I left but not before I asked about The Inkwell.

They had one picture and one paragraph, mostly emphasizing how polluted the water was.

But I was told that they are going to have a talk in February about it. In sha Allah, I’m going to ask them to do a full exhibit, at least. It will be Black History Month.

Maybe if more people express an interest in it, they will be more apt to expand the exhibit. www.SantaMonicaHistory.org

Last night, I went to hear a classical bassist play some very unusual music which I really dug. It was mathematical. It was music but it was based on numbers and doubling and combining different types of playing and was very cool.

It showed how versatile music can be. The composers name was Tom Johnson and the last number reminded me of a regular song but instead of singing the lyrics, they were spoken.

I discovered I like when bassists slide their finger down the string and wondered if it could be done while walking the bass. Hmmmm???

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• Oh My God! Why did I have FRESH dates?!?!!!! They were yellow and crunchy and the sweetest thing since Soan Papdi!!! If you EVER have the chance to try them, buy them all!!!
• https://youtu.be/rs0bsUgB-c0
• My favorite flavor of honey is “Wildflower.” I don’t care for “Cotton.”
• People my age are at the age wherein we go to bed and the “kids” stay up! LOL
• Badu didn’t mention Bag Ladies like myself in her classic song. I’m a Sleeping Bag Lady LOL
• Remember I wrote about the Black drug dealer who just asks, “You f__k with that s__t? Well, I passed a white drug dealer one day, and he said, “I got that. If you need it.”
• My view of regentrification: “If you can’t STOP IT, might as well PROFIT!!!“
• I don’t know why Mexicans feel like they need to put seasonings on Mango! It’s already delicioso!!! Why make it salty? No comprendo.
• I forgot to mention how beautiful and clear the night sky has been the past few nights. All I saw were stars, stars and more stars. Did you see it? The moon is also awfully close to the Sun. You can see why there’s going to be a total eclipse on Monday. Astronomy is a natural science. We should encourage our children to participate in viewings. In sha Allah, I’m going to one at the Santa Monica Public Library Pico Branch. Here are some more locations where you can view it in L.A. TOTAL ECLIPSE.
• One of these men is Cholly Atkins – the man responsible for The Pips signature and impeccable choreography. Eventually, The Tempations, who met Cholly after a tour with G and the Pips, referred him to Motown, where Berry Gordy hired him to refine his own acts.
• https://youtu.be/M6f6ewUdHcQ
• FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION – 1st & 3rd Thursdays @ Community Build 4305 Degnan. Call for times (323)290-6560
• FREE FOOD DISTRIBUTION – 2nd & 4th Tuesdays @ Community Build 8730 S. Vermont Ave. Call for times (323)789-9950
• SISTERS OF WATTS
• CAMP GID D UP
• The Marcus Garvey Day Parade & Festival is going on today in Leimert Park. I may or may not go. Probably not. Our Beloved Messenger, The Honourable and Humble Elijah Muhammad (May the Peace and the Blessings of Allah Forever Be Upon Him) Taught us that both Marcus Garvey and Noble Drew Ali, “loved us but they didn’t have the knowledge to have brought us out.” THAT knowledge was only taught to us from Allah, Himself, through his Divine Messenger (PBUH) and can be read in this book. Click the picture to read it in its entirety.

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